Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, December 10, 2025

906 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Bluegrass Stockyard report →

light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $343.64/cwt +26.37 vs last sale · ≈ $2,137/hd at 622 lb · 98 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $391.27/cwt +40.75 vs last sale · ≈ $2,454/hd at 627 lb · 91 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $356.57/cwt +59.64 vs last sale · ≈ $2,806/hd at 787 lb · 57 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 906 584 961
Feeder cattle 815 401 904
Slaughter cattle 66 112 47
Replacement cattle 25 71 10

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday the feeder market was stronger with a good quality offering. Feeder steers 600lbs and under were 8.00 to 10.00 higher or greater in several spots with a good supply and strong demand for weaned packages and groups. Yearling steers appeared sharply higher as well with a good supply, but limited comparisons. Feeder heifers 600 lbs and under were 2.00 to 8.00 higher with a good supply and strong demand. Buyers were active today and willing to pay premiums for quality feeder cattle, while discounting plainer and off colored calves severely and increasing the price spread with in weight classes. Slaughter cows were mostly steady to 2.00 lower for leans with a good supply and slaughter bulls were mostly steady with good demand.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310 310 1 450.00 $450.00 $1,395 +85.00
380 fancy 380 1 500.00 $500.00 $1,900 —
430–445 440 3 420.00–430.00 $424.10 $1,866 +39.25
487 fancy 487 9 430.00 $430.00 $2,094 —
487–496 492 5 402.50–410.00 $407.03 $2,003 +17.12
502–535 value added 519 7 395.00–400.00 $398.62 $2,069 -4.38
524 fancy 524 10 432.00 $432.00 $2,264 —
525–540 530 5 362.50–377.50 $368.02 $1,951 +2.23
550–576 value added 565 8 395.00–410.00 $401.71 $2,270 —
569 fancy 569 5 426.00 $426.00 $2,424 —
570–585 580 9 362.50–382.00 $372.54 $2,161 —
610–649 value added 625 77 389.00–402.75 $399.13 $2,495 —
620–646 640 14 337.50–357.00 $348.04 $2,227 -2.48
655–675 665 12 333.50–360.00 $342.70 $2,279 +17.23
713–735 727 22 325.00–342.00 $337.65 $2,455 +17.09
773–775 774 4 300.00–318.00 $304.51 $2,357 +7.58
788 value added 788 53 360.50 $360.50 $2,841 —
820 820 2 312.00 $312.00 $2,558 —
926 926 5 305.00 $305.00 $2,824 +35.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
435 435 1 397.50 $397.50 $1,729 —
565 565 1 340.00 $340.00 $1,921 —
605–640 623 2 301.00–315.00 $308.20 $1,920 -16.80
655–685 667 5 312.50–325.00 $319.60 $2,132 +19.60
735 735 2 287.50–312.50 $300.00 $2,205 —
815–823 821 4 275.00–299.00 $293.04 $2,406 —
985 985 1 234.00 $234.00 $2,305 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365 365 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,040 —
565 565 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,695 —
615 615 1 282.50 $282.50 $1,737 —
740 740 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,702 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
600 600 1 297.00 $297.00 $1,782 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270–280 275 2 370.00–390.00 $380.18 $1,045 —
317 317 2 385.00 $385.00 $1,220 +0.51
375 fancy 375 1 422.50 $422.50 $1,584 +10.00
360–395 378 2 380.00–390.00 $384.77 $1,454 -4.59
405–436 fancy 422 17 407.00–422.50 $411.87 $1,738 +4.37
425–445 434 4 370.00–395.00 $376.12 $1,632 +0.28
450–460 fancy 455 3 404.00–407.50 $406.35 $1,849 —
453–498 483 22 365.00–380.00 $373.64 $1,805 +9.77
508–516 value added 513 22 375.00–380.00 $378.43 $1,941 —
504–545 519 24 347.00–370.00 $362.54 $1,882 +11.36
554–585 value added 558 18 361.00–366.00 $364.16 $2,032 —
555–590 574 16 330.00–353.00 $348.49 $2,000 +11.94
620 value added 620 69 347.00–350.00 $349.87 $2,169 —
600–646 626 29 313.00–336.00 $328.82 $2,058 +2.09
656–697 679 16 300.00–318.00 $308.10 $2,092 -14.86
730–740 735 4 280.00–290.00 $284.72 $2,093 +39.72
748 value added 748 20 320.50 $320.50 $2,397 -10.50
766–790 768 16 287.50–301.00 $300.13 $2,305 +20.13
804–845 810 14 252.00–258.00 $257.11 $2,083 -30.39
870 870 6 270.00 $270.00 $2,349 +32.00
920 920 1 229.00 $229.00 $2,107 +49.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
197 197 2 329.00 $329.00 $648 —
310–345 326 5 335.00–352.50 $345.97 $1,128 +25.97
350–390 370 2 335.00–352.50 $344.22 $1,274 -9.95
405 405 1 340.00 $340.00 $1,377 +3.84
510–545 527 5 307.50–320.00 $311.29 $1,640 -18.71
555–595 572 6 310.00–324.00 $315.68 $1,806 —
610–646 637 11 300.00–310.00 $303.90 $1,936 —
668–695 686 13 277.50–285.00 $280.88 $1,927 -1.58
855 855 2 240.00 $240.00 $2,052 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 300 1 270.00 $270.00 $810 —
375–380 378 2 275.00–300.00 $287.58 $1,087 +25.08
495 495 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,411 —
500 500 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,300 —
630 630 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,575 +60.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
760 760 1 226.00 $226.00 $1,718 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
317–340 327 5 425.00–450.00 $437.96 $1,432 +7.96
355–380 368 2 420.00–442.50 $430.87 $1,586 +21.63
415–447 426 10 395.00–417.00 $413.84 $1,763 —
461–485 473 12 385.00–410.00 $393.18 $1,860 +12.38
515 fancy 515 1 382.50 $382.50 $1,970 —
502–542 530 9 367.50–375.00 $369.81 $1,960 +2.81
550–580 565 8 336.00–360.00 $353.19 $1,996 +7.15
605–640 624 17 319.00–340.00 $333.88 $2,083 —
655–680 672 7 308.00–319.00 $311.96 $2,096 +26.96
705 705 1 299.00 $299.00 $2,108 +69.00
980 980 1 195.00 $195.00 $1,911 —
1080 1080 1 192.50 $192.50 $2,079 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
215 215 1 320.00 $320.00 $688 —
365–385 375 2 375.00–385.00 $380.13 $1,425 —
400–402 401 3 370.00–385.00 $374.98 $1,504 +14.98
465–483 476 5 370.00–380.00 $373.91 $1,780 +19.53
605–640 617 3 305.00 $305.00 $1,882 —
660–681 676 4 287.50–290.00 $288.11 $1,948 —
740 740 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,998 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1250–1770 1510 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 2 2,975.00–3,450.00 $3,171.61 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380–395 388 2 340.00 $340.00 $1,319 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
670 670 1 287.00 $287.00 $1,923 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
915–1295 1112 85-90% 21 127.00–146.00 $135.28 $1,504 —
770–1815 1204 85-90% 7 109.00–125.50 $116.73 $1,405 —
925–1365 1208 85-90% 6 148.00–163.00 $152.46 $1,842 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1260–1555 1423 75-80% 4 170.00–177.50 $174.62 $2,485 +16.65
1415–1720 1569 75-80% 6 154.00–165.00 $158.51 $2,487 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1015–1285 1155 80-85% 6 154.00–165.50 $160.87 $1,858 —
1270–1430 1350 80-85% 2 167.00–175.00 $171.24 $2,312 —
1430 1430 80-85% 1 143.00 $143.00 $2,045 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1170–1900 1470 3 153.00–170.00 $163.51 $2,404 -19.61
1315–1870 1554 5 179.50–192.50 $184.22 $2,863 —
1740–1880 1810 3 206.50–217.00 $212.63 $3,849 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
970 970 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,649

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1130–1235 1183 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 1,800.00–2,075.00 $1,949.00
1335–1415 1375 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 2,100.00–2,400.00 $2,254.36
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
910–1165 1035 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,400.00–1,550.00 $1,506.04

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
800 800 (<2 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,875.00 $1,875.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1160 1160 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 3,000.00 $3,000.00 —
1450–1575 1513 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 2 2,900.00–3,250.00 $3,082.23 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
970 970 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 2,300.00 $2,300.00 —

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Dairy Cows

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
810 810 85-90% 1 106.00 $106.00 $859 —
1535 1535 85-90% 1 136.00 $136.00 $2,088 —

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Reading this report

What does "Medium and Large 1" mean?

USDA feeder grades describe frame size and muscle thickness, not quality of the individual animal. "Medium and Large" is the frame score; the number is muscle (1 = heaviest muscled). "Medium and Large 1–2" pens mix both muscle scores — common across the Southeast.

What is $/cwt?

Dollars per hundredweight — per 100 lb of animal. A 500-lb calf at $450/cwt brings 5 × $450 = $2,250. Lighter cattle usually bring more per cwt but less per head.

Why are some prices per head?

Bred cows, cow-calf pairs, and some replacement classes sell by the head, not by weight. We show those exactly as USDA reports them — a $/head figure is never converted into $/cwt on this site.

Where do these numbers come from?

From the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service's Livestock Market News — federal reporters at the sale. We publish each report in full and link the official USDA document at the top of the page.